Video cameras provided for capturing images of the surroundings of a remotely controlled vehicle have a number of known applications. In typical cases, a suitable video camera is mounted on the body of a remotely controlled vehicle based on a desired point of view (POV), and the images of the surroundings are transmitted to a remote location from which the operator, from a far distance, is able to issue commands for remotely controlling the vehicle in its surroundings. The transmitted images are typically presented to the operator on a display, and the operator manipulates one or more controller devices such as, for example, a joystick, a steering wheel, a pedal, or any other suitable controller device or combination of controller devices, to remotely control or navigate the vehicle based on what the operator sees.
Some example applications include controlling or operating a vehicle in a disaster-struck or disaster-prone area, in a contaminated or toxic area, in a remote terrain, or in other environments hazardous to the operator. Other example applications include controlling or operating a small or miniature vehicle for exploring mines, buildings, or other space constrained areas. Increasingly, additional applications include hobbies (e.g., toy cars or unmanned aerial vehicles), transportation (e.g., driverless cars or trains), or other specialized activities such as snow or debris removal (e.g., snowplows, bulldozers).
One known issue that affects the operator's efficiency when remotely controlling a vehicle while viewing images of its surroundings is video latency, or the time interval between the time an image is acquired at the video camera attached to the vehicle and the time that that image is presented on a display to the operator at the remote location. Video latency depends on many factors, such as video encoding/compression times, decoding/decompression times, and network delays. Conventional approaches to this issue typically focus on provisioning the system to reduce the amount of the video latency. Some such approaches include, for example, reducing the image quality, increasing the network bandwidth, adding physical resources, and the like. While each of these approaches can advantageously improve one or more components that contribute to video latency, there is room for other types of improvements and approaches.